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Topic: Shia Islam | Shiite Muslims

Saudi Arabia and Iran after the death of King Abdullah

The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been known to reach explosive heights on occasion. Deadly proxy conflicts are currently raging in a number of flash points in the Middle East. By Adnan TabatabaiMore

The crisis in Yemen

Since 22 January, Yemen has been mired in an almost unresolvable crisis of government. After a power struggle that lasted several days, President Hadi stepped down along with Prime Minister Bahah and his whole cabinet. Marie-Christine Heinze takes a closer look at the current crisis and its wider implicationsMore

Political upheaval in Yemen

In an unprecedented demonstration of power, Houthi rebels have caused key members of Yemen's political elite to flee, negotiated a cabinet reshuffle, and laid bare the political weakness of President Hadi. By Marie-Christine HeinzeMore

History of the Caliphate

The history of the Caliphate is, with a few exceptions, an unstable and unhappy one. In this essay, Stefan Weidner explains why the self-appointed caliphs of today, like the ISIS leader in Iraq, have little in common with the caliphs of oldMore

Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi crisis

The terror in Iraq is a Sunni rebellion against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, writes Birgit Svensson in Baghdad, who lays the blame for the country's dire straits squarely at the door of its Shia head of governmentMore

ISIS and the Iraqi government

For years, Iraq's Sunnis have been marginalised by the central government in Baghdad. This is now having dire consequences. It is apparent that ISIS's advance has been aided by former Sunni officers from the Saddam era. By Karim El-GawharyMore

Interview with Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig

Having already served two terms, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cannot run for president in the election in early April. The end of his twelve years in office marks the end of an era for the country. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to Thomas Ruttig of the "Afghanistan Analysts Network" about the political situation in Afghanistan after over a decade of KarzaiMore

The Bahraini Activist Ala'a Shehabi

The Bahraini activist and blogger Ala'a Shehabi is certain that freedom of the press is unattainable in Bahrain, even within the framework of the national dialogue between the country's opposition and the leadership of the royal family. In an interview with Hisham al-Douriush, she tells how she and her colleagues are subject to surveillance by the Bahraini security apparatusMore

Hezbollah after the Beirut Attacks

In Syria, Hezbollah is backing the Assad regime in the fight against the rebels, as a way of defending the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah alliance. This has been met with great hostility at home in Lebanon, and is provoking reactions on the Salafist front. Background from Juliane MetzkerMore

Sunni-Shia Relations

The Grand Mufti Emeritus of Bosnia-Herzegovina Sheikh Mustafa Cerić looks to the past for lessons on improving Sunni-Shi'a relations in today's Middle East. They are the key to regional stability, he saysMore

Tension between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon

The effects of the war in Syria are being felt in Lebanon. Violent confrontations are flaring up between the Sunnis and the Shiites in a country in which several religious groups have to coexist. And there is no reason to assume that the situation will improve. Mona Naggar reports from BeirutMore

Interview with Roxana Saberi on the Elections in Iran

﻿The Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi was ﻿sentenced to an eight-year prison term on bogus espionage charges in Iran in 2009. She was released following the intervention of US president Barack Obama. Saberi does not believe that the presidential elections in Iran on 14 June will bring major political changes. An interview by Tobias KöberleinMore

Iran in the Run-up to the Presidential Election

The presidential poll this coming June is already shaping up as a final duel between the Islamic Republic's two longest-serving politicians – but also as a directional decision with an open outcome. Marcus Michalsen reportsMore

Iran in the Run-up to Presidential Elections

For Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a man viewed as the architect of the Islamic Republic who was the nation's most powerful figure for two decades, the outcome of presidential elections this coming June has already been decided: The reformers don't stand a chance, as Supreme Leader Khamenei will in any eventuality install his chosen candidate. By Ali SadrzadehMore

Iraq Ten Years after Saddam

Ten years after the start of the Iraq War and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Feisal Amin Rasoul al-Istrabadi reviews developments in the country and considers whether things are better or worse now than they were before the Allied invasionMore

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Most Recent Photo Essay

With his photo project "This Place", Frederic Brenner sought to provide a different insight into Israel and the West Bank. As part of the project, 12 international photographers present landscape and portrait photos that aim to contribute to the observer's understanding of the conflict region. The exhibition runs at the Dox Center for Contemporary Art in Prague until 3 March 2015. By Felix Koltermann